San Jose, CA (San Francisco Employment Attorney News) — An East Indian former employee of Guardsmark has accused the worldwide security firm of failing to protect him against discriminatory practices in the workplace. The former Guardsmark employee, along with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), filed the California employment lawsuit in federal court requesting back pay and other damages, including punitive damages, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

According to court documents, the former San Jose Guardsmark employee, Inderpal Nayyar, 66, claims he endured harassment because of his age, his accent and because of the turban he wore on the job, which resulted in a demotion after he complained to managers, reported California employment lawyer, Eric Grover of Keller Grover LLP.

The harassment allegedly began in 2007 when a co-worker taunted Nayyar for his accent and turban, a common form of headgear worn by people from his part of the world, sometimes for religious reasons.

His co-worker reportedly told Nayyar that he was “too old” and should retire from his position at Guardsmark. Nayyar complained to his supervisors repeatedly about the harassment over a six-month period in 2007.

The EEOC asserted that, “ Guardsmark ignored the complaints, promoted the co-worker to supervisor and transferred Nayyar to another location with fewer hours and reduced benefits.”

Nayyar ultimately left his job at Guardsmark after being employed at the security firm since 2005, and found a new job.

Guardsmark claims they investigated the incident and found no evidence of discrimination, stated Eric Grover, a San Francisco employment attorney.

“As an employer, you have the duty to ensure that all of your employees have a safe and non-hostile work environment, which doesn’t foster discrimination or harassment due to someone’s age, race, gender or religion,” explained the California employment lawyer, Eric Grover.

“All employees should be allowed to do their job without enduring constant harassment or discrimination from both their co-workers and employers,” continued the San Francisco employment attorney.

This news story was brought to you by the California employment lawyers at Keller Grover LLP. If you or someone you love has been a victim of workplace discrimination and harassment based on race, sex, age, and disability, or you had your wage and hour rights violated, contacting a knowledgeable San Francisco employment attorney can help get the justice you deserve.